1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a powder container that contains powder, a powder conveying apparatus that conveys the powder contained in the powder container to discharge the powder, and an image forming apparatus that includes the powder conveying apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electrophotographic image forming apparatuses, such as copiers, printers, facsimile machines, or multifunction peripherals having functions of copiers, printers and facsimile machines, generally form images by causing developing devices to form toner images with developer called toner or carrier. In such image forming apparatuses, toner is consumed through image formation; therefore, in general, toner cartridges containing toner are attached to the image forming apparatuses and when the toner cartridges become empty of the toner, the toner cartridges are replaced with new ones in order to replenish new toner.
For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H11-143195 discloses a developer supply container (a toner cartridge) having a deformable container body. In this configuration, when a used toner supply container is to be replaced with new one, the used toner supply container is detached, a seal member on a container body of a new toner supply container is removed so that a toner outlet is opened, and the new toner supply container is placed at a predetermined position in an attachment portion of a main body of an image forming apparatus.
However, with the developer supply container disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H11-143195, because the seal member is removed and the toner outlet is opened before the toner supply container is attached to the image forming apparatus, such trouble may occur that a user becomes stained with toner by touching the contained toner through the opened toner outlet or toner is scattered from the toner outlet.